The Museum of the Scroll

Begin a Rescue

הַצָּלַת סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה

Begin a Rescue

Every rescue begins with someone who refused to let a scroll be forgotten. Tell us about it — what it is, where it came from, and what it needs. There is no cost to begin, and no obligation. A sofer reviews every submission personally.

Nothing here is required except your name, email, and where the scroll is. Answer what you know; "not sure" is a real answer and it helps us more than a guess.

1 מִי אַתָּה About you

So we know who we are speaking with, and how to reach you.

There is no wrong answer. It only tells us who else should be in the conversation.

2 הַסֵּפֶר The scroll itself

Answer what you know. "Not sure" is genuinely useful — a guess is not.

A name helps us keep it straight and gives the rescue a title people can rally around.

3 מִדּוֹת וּכְתָב Measurements and script

These are the details that let a sofer date a scroll and place where it was written. Every one you can answer narrows it down. If you can only manage the height of the parchment, that alone tells us a great deal.

Count the lines of writing in one column. This single number is one of the most telling clues we have.

If you are unsure, leave it — the photographs will tell us.

4 מַצַּב הַסֵּפֶר Condition

Be blunt. Nothing here disqualifies a scroll — we have restored scrolls that arrived in far worse shape than their owners feared.

5 תּוֹלְדוֹת הַסֵּפֶר Its history — where it came from

This is the part no one else can supply. Once the people who remember are gone, the scroll becomes anonymous. Write down whatever you have heard, even if you are not certain it is true. We will tell you what the scroll itself confirms.

Copy it exactly as it appears, Hebrew or English, even partially. Names and dates here are often the key to everything.

6 תְּמוּנוֹת Photographs

Photographs decide almost everything. A phone camera in daylight is perfectly good — no flash, and lay the scroll flat if it is safe to open.

What we most want to see

  • One full column, straight on, filling the frame and in focus
  • A close-up of the letters, near enough to see the ink
  • The scroll rolled closed, with something for scale beside it
  • The first and last columns
  • Any dedication plaque, mantle embroidery, or writing on the atzei chaim
  • Every area of damage, however ugly
  • A seam, showing the stitching
Choose files, or drag them here

Up to 25 files, 20 MB each. JPG, PNG, HEIC, TIFF, or PDF. If you have hundreds of column photographs, send these now and we will give you a way to upload the rest.

7 תָּכְנִית הַהַצָּלָה The rescue you have in mind

None of this is binding. It tells us what kind of plan to put in front of you.

The last answer is a real one. Say it plainly and we will look for a sponsor.

Public rescue pages are how most scrolls actually get funded — friends and family give in small amounts.

8 לְסִיּוּם Last things

A sofer reads every submission. You will hear from us personally, usually within two business days.

שַׁתְּפוּ אֶת הַמִּצְוָה

Sponsor this rescue

A full rescue runs from a few thousand dollars to the cost of a complete restoration. Families often carry it together, letter by letter, at a dollar each.

$18 $36 $180 $1,800 $

A Sefer Torah has 304,805 letters, and every one must be whole. Gifts here are counted as letters dedicated toward this work at one dollar each.

Dedicate letters

Share it with family — this is how scrolls actually get funded

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The Museum of the Scroll is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

The Museum of the Scroll is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We locate, document, and repair Sifrei Torah, place them with communities that will read from them, and teach the history and craft of the scribal tradition. Admission is free, our programs are open to the public, and all contributions fund this work.

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